Thread treating apparatus for sewing machines



Aug- 2, 1933- F. ASHWORTH 1,923,563

THREAD TREATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 13. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1

INVENTUR g aw Q04] Aug. 22, 1933. F. ASHWORTH 1,923,563

THREAD TREATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 13. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VENTU-R Aug. 22, 1933. F. ASHWORTH 3 THREAD TREATING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 13. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 PATENT OFFICE THREAD TREATING APPARATUS FOR SEW- IN G MACHINES Fred Asliworth, Wenham, Mass assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a Corporation of New Jersey Application March 1-3, 1931. Serial No. 522,253

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe sewing machines, and more particularly to the thread waxing or lubricating devices of such machines.

In some classes of work, particularly in sew- .ing outsoles to the welts of. welted shoes, white or colored threads are often used in the stitching operation. In changing from a white to a colored thread or from a thread of one color to a thread of another color, it is desirable to change the wax or lubricating material througl'i which the thread passes in order to prevent soiling of the thread by the color which may be washed out of the previously used thread by the lubricating material. The pots containing the wax or lubricant which have heretofore been used are not readily removable from the chine, and consequently a change in the or lubricant has occasioned considerable incon venience and loss of time.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus which can be readily applied, without appreciable loss of time, to a sewing machine for Waxing or lubricating thread of any desired character or color supplied to the machine. Other objects are. to simplify the construction andimprove the operation of coloring, waxing, lubricating or other thread treating apparatus ordinarily employed in outsole or other stitching operations.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention in its preferred form, and to the following description of the construc- .j tion therein.

In thedrawingaFigure 1 is a view inside elevation of a portion of an outsole stitching machine with thread treating apparatus embodying the invention applied thereto; Figure 2 is a planiview on an enlarged scale, of said thread treating apparatus, a part having been broken away; Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus on a similar scale; Figure 4 is a plan view, in detail, of a thread supporting de- T vice employed in conjunction with the thread treating apparatus of my invention; and Figure fifsan end elevation of the apparatus of my invention shown in cooperative relation to the thread-supporting device illustrated in Figure 4.

'Ihehead-or" a sewing machine is indicated at 2 supported on a pedestal 4 and embodies the usual stitch-forming and thread manipulating devices; While: the invention may be used'with other; types of: machines, a lochstitch sewing head having a rotary loop taker 6 and other necessary mechanisms is illustrated.

At the rear of the supporting pedestal; in place of the ordinary wax pot heretofore, employed, an aligned series of duplicate thread treatin receptacles may be attached to the machine'by means of a dove-tail guide 10 which,

convenience of manufacture, in the construction illustrated, is formed on a bracket. secured to the machine by bolts, 12.

One or more individual receptacles for containing thread treating fluids may be mounted upon the dove-tail guide 10, proper vertical pobeing insured by a projecting stop 14 extending beneath the lower edge of the guide 10. Each receptacle is complete in itself and may. be interchangeably. mounted with respect to any other.

Each receptacle is formed with a main supporting frame 16 having a dove-tail slot 18 on one side and a dove-tailguide 20 corresponding to that on the frame of the machine on the other side. The dove-tail guide 10 on the machine, being similar to the dove-tail slot on the receptacles, any receptacle may be interchangeablyslipped into position on the machine. One or moreadditional receptacles may be slipped over corresponding-connections on-those already attached to the machine, thus providing dependent and interchangeable mountings therefor. Each frame 16is providedwith a stop 22 corresponding with stopll i on the guide 10, to prevent vertical displacement of the receptacles.

Beneatheach frame lois-suspended-acage Z held in place by screws26 passing through angularly bent tabs 28 of the cage and having a threatened engagement with holes in the frame; Each frame 16 is hollow for the passage of a container 30.. From the bottom of each cage one or more resilient springi members 32 extend upwardly to-form a flexible support for the container. Upwardthrust of these resilient members isresisted by acover 34- overlapping the entrance toeach container and-adjustable vertis cally to insure seating and complete closure of the opening. Qnthe upper side of the cover a suitably shaped bracket 36 is secured uponwhich is mounted a dry. thread tension or other incoming thread directing pulley 38 and an outgoing thread directing truck 4a) arranged withits-axis at right angles to the incoming thread. pulley. The arrangement issuch that incoming thread will enter at right angles to the directionof alinementof a series of superposedreceptacles while the outgoing thread: leads in, the direction of alinement of such a series. In this manner, any of the outgoing threads will align themselves properly with a conveniently located thread opening 42 at the rear of the stitching head.

A thread supply may be conveniently located adjacent any receptacle and. may be attached to the machine in any suitable manner. In the preferred form it is mounted on an integral extension of the guide 10. Extending from the guide is arm 44 on the end of which a clamp portion 16 is formed. A rod 48 sliding through the clamp supports a rotary thread supply reel 50. This reel is substantially similar to that described in the co-pending application of Erastus E. W'inkley, Serial No. 379,413, filed July 19, 1929, and comprises a yielding arm 52 pivotally mounted upon a radial member 5 fixed on the rod 48. Frictional control on the reel 50 is afforded by a brake 56 resting, under the tension of a spring 58, upon the periphery of a wheel 60 fixed to rotate with the reel. Thread drawn from the reel extends upwardly and laterally over a horizontal portion of the arm 52. Ten sion on the thread tends to counteract the effect of spring 58, releasing the brake 56 and permitting withdrawal of the thread. If a single thread is employed, the supply reel 50 may be moved longitudinally through movement between the rod 48 and the clamp 46 to position properly the reel with relation to any of the receptacles, the thread being directed laterally over the tension arm 52, through the dry thread tension 28, and into the selected thread treating container.

. Other thread manipulating equipment such as a stripper 62, thread truck 64, and a thread compressing device 66 may be formed in, or attached to, the cover 34. This apparatus is substantially similar to that described in my co-pending application Serial No. 372,993 filed June 22, 1929 to which reference may be had for a more full and complete description thereof.

Thelcontainers are readily accessible for refilling, cleaning or other adjustments and the thread manipulating equipment is readily removable therefrom by means of the arrangement for attaching the cover 34 to each receptacle. Each cover is provided with extending ears 68 and '70, having vertical holes directed therethrough. The hole in car 68 cooperates with a nipple '72 extending upwardly from a bolt 74 fixed at one end of the frame 16. From the opening in ear '70, one end of an elongated rod '76 projects downwardly through a clamp member '78 formed on the other end of each receptacle frame 16. The rod '76 may be bolted or otherwise made fast to the ear 70.

Raising or removal of the cover 34 is permitted by releasing the clamp '78 from the rod 76, exposing the contents of the container 30 and permitting manipulation of the ordinarily enclosed parts attached to the cover. Lateral swinging movement of the cover is afforded by sufiicient upward movement along the rod '76 to permit the downwardly extending parts to clear the sides of the frame. The container 30 may be removed or replenished with a supply of a thread treating medium upon upward movement or removal of the cover. The parts attached to the cover may be held in any desired elevated position by manipulation of the clamp '78 or the container may be fixedly secured in position within the frame and supporting cage, as illustrated in the drawings, with the cover firmly closing the opening to the container against entrance to undesirable material.

The thread treating medium may be of any suitable character such as wax, a coloring compound, lubricant or cement which is either normally in the liquid form or may be reduced to a liquid within the container. By forming the container 30 of glass or other transparent material and the cage 24 with cut away portions, the quantity of thread treating fluid may be readily ascertained without removal of the cover. Any one of a series of aligned superposed receptacles may be selected to act upon the thread as it passes from the supply to the work with simple and convenient adjustment and without undue loss of time. Receptacles may be quickly interchanged or additional ones depended to those already in place. Such apparatus is particularly suited for use on a machine employing different colors of tlnead. Where certain portions of the work require one color and other portions, another color, or where a needle thread of one character and a locking thread of another character are employed, a shift from one to the other can quickly be made or, if desired, a plurality of thread reels can be permanently positioned, one in fixed relation to each receptacle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination, a machine frame provided with a dove-tail guide, a wax receptacle, formed with a dove-tail slot on one side to fit the guide on the frame and with a dovetail guide on the other similar to the guide on the frame whereby a plurality of similar individual receptacles may be inter-changeably mounted on the machine frame or may be mounted one upon another.

2. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination with the machine frame, a series of duplicate aligned wax receptacles, each formed with a dove-tail slot on one side and with a dove-tail guide on the other for cooperating with corresponding connections on the machine frame or on adjacent receptacles, thread guides mounted on each receptacle for directing incoming thread at right angles to the direction of alignment and outgoing thread in the direction of alignment of the series of receptacles, a thread supply device adjustably mounted to slide into adjacent cooperating position with any of said receptacles, and means for directing the thread from said device at right angles to the direction of sliding movement thereof. V

3. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination, a mounting frame, a supporting cage beneath the frame, a container slidable through the frame and into said cage, a cover for the container arranged for lateral swinging or vertical sliding movement into engagement with the upper surface of the container to maintain it in position within the cage, means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container and a nipple formed on the frame for cooperating with an opening in the cover to prevent lateral swinging of the cover while in its lowermost position.

4. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination, a mounting frame adapted to be mounted on a sewing machine, a container supported by said frame, a rod slidable in the frame, a cover for the container carried by the rod, means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container and means for clamping the rod in fixed position.

5. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination, a mounting frame adapted to be mounted on a sewing machine, a supporting cage beneath said frame, a container slidable through the frame and into said cage, a cover for the container arranged for vertical movement into engagement with the upper surface of the container to maintain it in position within the cage and means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container.

6. A thread treating apparatus having, in combination, a mounting frame, a supporting cage beneath said frame, a resilient member within the cage, a container slidable through the frame and into contact with the resili nt member within the cage, a cover for the container arranged for movement into engagement with the upper surface of the container to compress it against said resilient member and means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container.

7. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination with the frame of the machine, a series of duplicate receptacles, each comprising a mounting frame formed with attachment means arranged on opposite sides for cooperating with corresponding means on the machine frame or on adjacentreceptacles, a supporting cage suspended from the frame, and a container disposed within the cage.

8. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines having, in combination, a mounting frame, a closed ended supporting cage suspended from the frame, a container disposed within the cage, a cover for the container having a sliding attachment to said frame, means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container and adjustable means for positioning said cover in engagement with the container and for maintaining the container in fixed relation inside the cage.

9. A thread treating apparatus having, in com bination, a mounting frame, a removable con tainer projecting beneath the frame, a rod slidable vertically in the frame, a cover for the container mounted on the rod and carrying thread manipulating equipment and rod clamping means on the frame for fixedly securing the cover and container in position.

10. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines comprising a supporting frame, a fluid container, a cover for the container, and means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container, and through the fluid, said frame being provided with a guide to flt a guideway on the sewing machine frame and with a guideway similar to the guideway on the machine frame whereby a plurality of similar individual apparatus frames be interchangeably mounted on the machine frame or may be mounted one upon another.

11. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines comprising a supporting frame, a fluid container, a cover for the container, and means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container and through the fluid, said frame being provided with a guide to fit a guideway on the sewing machine frame and with a guideway similar to the guideway on the machine frame whereby a plurality of similar individual apparatus frames may be interchangeably mounted on the machine frame or may be mounted one upon another, and a thread supply device movable to different positions to cooperate with different containers of said apparatus.

12. A thread treating apparatus for sewing machines comprising a supporting frame, a fluid container, a cover for the container, and means mounted on the cover for guiding thread into and out of the container and through the fluid, said frame being provided with a guide to fit a guideway on the sewing machine frame and with a guideway similar to the guideway on the machine frame whereby a plurality of similar individual apparatus frames may be interchangeably mounted on the machine frame or may be mounted one upon another, a thread supply device slidably mounted upon the machine frame, and means for adjustably securing said device adjacent different receptacles.

FRED ASHWORTH. 

